Man Utd and Chelsea handed blow in Gvardiol pursuit amid bidding war

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Manchester United and Chelsea, among others, have been handed a hammer blow in their pursuit of RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol as he is reportedly set to remain with the Bundesliga outfit. The defender has shone at the Qatar World Cup, with clubs believed to be queuing up to make their approach in January.

Gvardiol has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League over the last 12 months, with his potential catching the eye. The centre-back has been one of the stars of the World Cup, and at just 20 years old, he is expected to develop further and become one of the best in the world in his position.

Chelsea attempted to sign Gvardiol in the summer, though Leipzig snubbed their approach because it was deemed too late in the window. Since, United, Manchester City and Real Madrid are all believed to have taken an interest in the Croatia international.

However, according to Sky Germany, he will not make a move to any of those sides because he is set to stay at Leipzig. Gvardiol is expected to remain at the Red Bull Arena beyond the summer of 2023, meaning that the release clause in his contract will have expired.

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Chelsea will certainly be disappointed by the news given that Todd Boehly has promised Graham Potter immense spending power going forward so that he can build a team capable of competing for trophies – and Gvardiol was expected to be a major factor in that spending spree, along with his Leipzig teammate Christopher Nkunku.

United, too, are in the market for a central defender. Reports have previously circulated speculating that manager Erik ten Hag is weighing up whether club captain Harry Maguire has a future at Old Trafford – and if the England international failed to impress his manager in Qatar then a replacement would be required.

Though Gvardiol has consistently told the press that he has very little role in determining where his future lies. Earlier this month he was quizzed on a potential move to the Blues, to which he replied: “About me and Chelsea? I don’t know. You know what happened in the last few months. To be honest, I have no idea.

“My agent is taking care of this and we will see. Right now, I’m happy in Leipzig. I don’t know, we will see – you never know. You know the stories and these things, but all I can say is that I’m happy in Leipzig and right now I’m going to stay there and perform for them.”

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